


A Robin's Heart

by EmmaRushingThroughBooks



Category: Batman and Robin (Comics), DCU (Comics), Superman: The Animated Series
Genre: Batcave, F/M, Fortress of Solitude, Gotham City - Freeform, Metropolis, Wayne Manor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-01-03 23:21:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21187667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmaRushingThroughBooks/pseuds/EmmaRushingThroughBooks
Summary: Damian Wayne has always been so sure that he would be able to get through his teenage years loveless and carefree. His father and brothers however disagree. After a patrol with Dick, Damian bumps into a girl who makes him really wonder: "Is sanity a normal thing people don't have, or is it just her?" The lovestruck Wayne is continuously in denial but has to try and make sure that this girl is not harmed by the chaos of his life while she is being sucked into the madness.





	1. Chapter 1

Damian frowned as he and his adopted brother hopped off of a rooftop. "Shut up, Dick,"

The oldest adopted Wayne boy laughed. "You're too stubborn, Damian! I'm sure I'll be proven right in due time. I kept saying the same nonsense that you say now, and guess what, Barbara and I will get married one day!"

"The day you two get married I will personally dye my hair bright pink," Damian retorted, rolling his eyes.

Dick winked. "I'll keep that in mind. I think a white tux will look good with pink hair, wouldn't you agree?"

Damian didn't flatter his brother with a response. Dick was the playful oldest Wayne son, but unlike Damian was adopted. He had jet black hair like all of the Wayne children (although only Damian was biologically a Wayne) and frost blue eyes. He was a tall, lean man, and Damian found it hard to believe that his brother who was seemingly tough as a nail could do backflips and ballet. 

The two were about done with there park trip when they heard the sounds of a struggle. The two quickly darted towards the direction of the noise, only two find that it was a quarrel between a bunch of school kids.

“Look who’s all high and mighty now!” A blonde boy with dark eyes taunted, kicking another boy in the stomach, knocking him to his knees.

“Well would you look at that,” Dick uttered. “They’re your age, DW! This should be a walk in the park!”

Damian scowled. “Don’t call me that when we’re about to fight crime, Night Wing,”

Duck shrugged. “I’d hardly say this is crime, Robin, but I’ll take your word for it,”

The acrobatic twenty-six-year-old was about to backflip down into the narrow alley when a third person entered the fight.

“Hey, lay off!” a voice a bit too high pitched to me a boy’s cried.

A short girl with blonde hair with a blue streak down the right side stood at the start of the alley with her hand sassily on her hip. Her bright blue eyes seemed to sparkle in the dim evening light.

“Why don’t you pick on somebody your own size!” the girl challenged, her eyes ablaze with passion and a confident smirk spread across her lips.

The bully laughed. “Like you, shortie?”

She shrugged. “Bit if an unfair fight don’t you think? I’ve got a smaller target area!”

The bully must’ve taken it as an insult because he ran towards the girl.

Dick quickly reacted. He jumped down, grabbing the bully by the hood of his jacket with Damian helping the bullied kid up.

“Hey!” the bully complained.

“Bit rude to attack a lady, don’t you think?” Dick teased.

“N-Night Wing!” he gasped.

“Nice job,” the girl chuckled, “you know a super hero’s name!”

Damian was getting kind of aggravated by this scrappy girl. After shoving the bullied kid out of the alley, telling him to “Get lost” he marched right over to her.

“Could you shut up?” he requested of her.

Dick scowled at him, then looked at the bully. “Can you believe this guy?”

Damian glared at his brother.

“That’s not how you treat a young heroine, Robin,” he told his little brother in a half-mocking half-serious way.

“Shut up, Night Wi—“ Damian didn’t finish when he turned around to discover that the short girl had vanished. “Where...”

The boy wonder didn’t let the whereabouts of the blonde-haired heroine pester his thoughts for much longer, and he helped his brother lecture the bully before returning to Wayne Manor.

.....

“No!” Damian complained.

“Will you SHUT UP?” Jason asked from the hall. He had naturally red hair that he always dyed black, but those red roots were almost as stubborn as he was. He had silvery blue eyes and was a tall muscular young man. Damian’s second oldest brother was leaning against the wall in front of his bedroom door, which was wide open as Dick fought with Damian about going to school.

“You skipped just about every day of middle school, DW!” Dick said. “Can you at least go to the first day of your freshman year?”

Damian pouted but reluctantly put on his school uniform. He looked at himself in the mirror.

“I look like Father about to go to a meeting,” he commented.

“Damian! Hurry up, or else you won’t be showing up to school in a limo!” Tim yelled from the next room over.

Damian growled but joined his other brother in his room. Tim, like the rest of them, had black hair, but behind his reading glasses, you could see that his left eye was blue while his right was brown. The tall and thin looking brother of Damian was wearing the same uniform as him, down to the dark tie and maroon vest underneath the grey blazer.

“Damian? Tim?” Alfred called from the hall.

The two brothers looked at their butler who they sometimes called “Grandpa” when he was out of earshot.

“I’m ready to take you both to school, or is Gotham High too lame for two Wayne children?” Alfred said, the comment mainly aimed at Damian.

The youngest Wayne was about to say: "Shut it, old man," but he held his tongue, knowing full well that one comment like that and he could have three brothers and one father ready to beat him up.

"Yep," Tim answered, and they followed Alfred to the car.

They rode silently, aside from Aldred asking the occasional questions, which mostly Tim answered due to Damian being too stubborn to. When they reached Gotham High, it took both Tim and Aldred many encouraging words, a few prayers, and only about a dozen threats to get Damian out of the car.

"I have psychology first, so I'll be on the other side of the school," Tim told his little brother. "If I remember correctly you've got Honors English first, so you might wanna start climbing those stairs up to the third floor,"

Damian rolled his eyes. Stairs were nothing. He walked up three flights of stairs sometimes in his own house just to go to the bathroom. "Why on earth did Father think it was a good idea to put me in Honors ANYTHING?"

Tim frowned. "You're a smart kid, Damian. You don't give yourself enough credit when it comes to your brain."

"Shut up," was the only response Damian managed to utter.

As the brothers parted ways, Damian found himself thinking about the night before. His brain wouldn't let him stop thinking about that strange girl who had tried to break up a fight all on her own. He wanted to punch a wall he was so mad at himself for being curious about her, but alas, he could not at the present moment. His thoughts were broken however as someone backed into him.

"Hey!" he protested angerly, his green eyes flaring with rage.

The student who bumped into him turned around, her eyes filled with guilt as she bit her lip anxiously. "Sorry," she muttered sincerely. "I-I didn't mean to bump into you,"

Damian was about to snap back when he recognized the face of the girl. It was HER. The girl that had tried to break up the fight! Damian badly wanted to comment on it, but being a good superhero, he did nothing of the sort. "You need to be more careful," he scolded.

The girl sighed. "Yeah, I get that a lot. Sorry again," she held out her hand for him to shake. "I'm Lara. Mind if you help me figure out where exactly room three twenty-eight is?"

"This girl is weird," Damian's brain said. "Like, REALLY weird,"

He gave her a quarter of a smile and grabbed her hand. "Damian," he replied, shaking it firmly. "And I'm pretty sure that's where I'm headed, so I suppose I could help,"


	2. Chapter 2

Damian and Lara were sitting next to each other throughout their first class. Damian was surprised to discover how much he enjoyed the eccentric girl's company. Her charismatic nature was enough to charm even him, and her playful ways certainly made it interesting anytime someone tried to mess with her. Damian was fascinated by everything about her. Lara was such an intelligent girl, and judging from her simple bits of flash fiction in English had a brilliant way with words. He wondered why she had a blue streak in her hair, something that was typically viewed as something a trouble maker would have, and yet she was such a little goody-two-shoes.

"Hey, I but you'll never guess who I ran into yesterday!" Lara said enthusiastically.

Expecting her to say "Night Wing and Robin" Damian smiled and asked her: "Who?" but was shocked by her answer.

"Bruce Wayne!" she exclaimed.

Damian wasn't sure how to feel about that. He smiled weakly at her. "That's...cool,"

Lara raised an eyebrow. "What? I thought you'd think that was cool. Bruce Wayne is one of the most ingenious people in the world!"

Damian laughed awkwardly and lightly rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, I take it you don't know my last name,"

Lara pursed her lips, raised one eyebrow, but then it clicked in her brain. "You're Damian Wayne! Oh my gosh! That's so cool!" she then bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I'm sure you get tired of that kind of reaction from people. I'm just...shocked,"

Damian smiled a tiny bit. "You're fine, Lara. I actually don't mind it that much for some reason right now. I guess it's because you seem to want to be my friend because of me and not my dad,"

Lara blushed, her face filled with joy. "We're friends?"

Damian shrugged, but then he realized how open he was being with his feelings. He looked out the window. "I mean, I think we are at least."

Lara's smile was so innocent and sincere. "Damian, you have no idea how much that means to me,"

Damian's emerald green eyes met her sky blue ones for a split second. The pure joy in them set a fire in him. He was used to being around Dick who was full of energy, but Lara seemed so much different than that. She held so much passion, strength, intellect, humor, and so much more, and it made Damian question if she was even human. He didn't think it was humanly possible to hold so many good qualities and not be insufferable. She almost reminded him of an angel; an angel with blue hair and a busload of sass and sarcasm.

Damian clenched his fists as he realized what he was thinking about. He wasn't sure why he was so taken by Lara, but he doubted he would like the reason.

"La--" Damian tried to say, but was interrupted by the bell ringing.

"I'm off to Honors US History," Lara commented, packing up her stuff. "Where are you going?"

Damian glanced at his schedule. "Uh, biology,"

Lara grinned. "Fun,"

The blue-haired girl was about to leave the room when Damian grabbed her by the elbow. "Lara, um, could I have your number?" he uttered. The Wayne boy felt dumb by simply asking that. He enjoyed her company and wanted to keep in touch with her, even if he knew he'd see her every English class.

Lara didn't look weirded out as she smiled happily and said: "Sure," She rummaged through her bag in search of a pen and paper, writing down her number and handing it to Damian. "There you go, my green-eyed friend!" she said energetically before leaving the room.

Damian stood in place for a moment, unable to comprehend what had just happened, and what was going on inside of him. He was eventually late for biology class but didn't really care. He nailed a window seat and started out into the courtyard, watching a couple of Juniors hanging out by the water fountain while skipping class.

"Mr. Wayne!" Damian's teacher snapped at him.

Damian glanced at her, a shriveled up old lady with spectacles barely balancing on the tip of her long crooked nose with a huge wart to the left of it. "Can I help you?" he grumbled.

"Pay attention, Mr. Wayne or you'll find yourself like your brother when he went here! Always in detention!" the teacher hissed.

Damian snorted. "I can see you taught Jason. You are old enough to have done that,"

Thankfully for Damian, the teacher hadn't heard him, which saved him from detention.

.....

After school, Damian met Tim in the courtyard. "How was your first day?" Tim asked, wearing a Senior pin proudly on his tie.

Damian shrugged. "It was school,"

Tim chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll warm up to it, that is if you go every day,"

Damian was about to say: "Not a chance," when a warm and joyous voice reached his ears.

"Damian!" Lara cried. She flailed her right arm in a wave and ran over to him. She gave him a half hug. "How was your first day?" she asked.

Damian gave her a miniature grin. "It was alright. Yours?"

Lara smiled. "Mine was good, thank you,"

A car honked their horn and Lara looked to face it. 

"Sorry," she apologized, "I've got to go. See you tomorrow!"

When the blonde-haired girl with a blue streak darted off, Damian could feel his brothers smirk jabbing at his back. "Soooooooo," Tim began, "who was that?"

Damian glared at him. "A friend,"

"Oooooooo," Tim commented.

"Shut up,"

"What's her name?" Tim pressed.

"Lara,"

"How'd you meet?"

"Bumped into each other,"

Tim frowned. "How did you REALLY meet?"

Damian scowled. "That IS how we really met. My klutz of a friend bumped into me, and then we walked to class,"

Tim didn't say anything more but stared at his brother as if he had finally found some good blackmail. Alfred came and picked the two up, Tim refusing to shut up about how Damian now had a "girlfriend".

.....

Damian hit his forehead with his phone. "Just TEXT HER, Damian!" the boy wonder uttered along with a few curses. "She's your FRIEND! Just man up and TEXT HER!"

He typed Lara's number into his phone and texted her a simple message.

Damian: Hey, Lara. It's Damian.

He waited a few minutes, feeling stupid for being so anxious, but then his phone dinged.

Lara: Hey, Damian! How are you?

Damian felt like he was having a heart attack as he responded to his new friend.

Damian: I'm good. U?

Lara: I'm great, thanks

He grinned at his phone and laid out on his bed. He stayed up late like normal being the young bat-child he was, but this time his night wasn't filled with training or empty hours without sleep, but rather with the sounds of laughter and shining smiles that he would never let anyone else see. Damian couldn't remember the last time he had a friend that wasn't one of his brothers, and it was nice to finally have one. Lara and he talked throughout the night about various topics, each fact about her shocking him more and more.

Lara: Do you play any sports?

Damian: Not really, but I work out a lot

Damian: What about you?

Lara: I fence

Damian: Like with swords and stuff?

Lara: Yeah. It's really fun!

Damian: I don't doubt it

"Damian, what are you doing?" Jason asked as he opened the door to Damian's room, his pajama top unbuttoned, and bottoms in shreds from playing with knives in his sleep.

Damian quickly shut off his phone to hide the messages. The last thing he wanted was being teased by Tim AND Jason. "None of your business, Jason!"

Jason waltzed over to Damian and snatched his phone. The twenty-year-old effortlessly typed in the password (which Damian did not know he knew) and began reading the messages. He started chuckling. "Ha! It's only a matter of time now, Damian before we win the bet!"

Damian snarled. "Give me back my phone, and no. That's not gonna happen."

Jason handed his brother his phone back, and strutted out, a smirk spread across his lips. He knew his brother was falling.


	3. Chapter 3

Damian punched a criminal in the chest, while Dick and Tim covered his back. 

"On your left!" Dick said to Tim, the eldest Wayne boy kicking a villain from his younger brother.

"Thanks for that," Tim thanked. "Damian! Behind--"

Damian slammed his elbow into his attacker's stomach, jumping up and jerking his arm upwards so that the back of his fist made contact with her nose. The three vigilantes backed up into a circle, silently saying to each other: "I will protect you,"

They scanned their surroundings, finding it safe, and deciding that there was no further need for violence. Tim wandered over to one of the unconscious bodies of their attackers. He rummaged through their jacket until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a card and showed it to his adoptive brothers. It was a joker card, however, something about it was different. Tim pointed at the left side of the joker's chest on the card. "That symbol, that's--"

"Lex Corp," Dick commented, snatching the card from his brother as the sounds of a motorcycle could be heard.

Tim stood up, looking at the card from over his brother's shoulder.

"Guys!" Damian complained. Dick was a good 6'0, while Tim was roughly 5'11. Damian however, was around 5'8.

"Sorry, Robin," Dick laughed before squatting down drastically. "This better?"

"I am this close to punching you!" Damian threatened, his thumb and index finger forming a flattened out "O".

"But they're touching," Tim noticed.

"Exactly," Damian said. Just as he was about to throw his punch, Dick was saved by the sound of Jason's voice.

"Would you guys hurry up? Bats and I have a lead!" Jason exclaimed.

The three all looked at their brother. "Coming Red Hood!" Dick replied before running to him. Damian and Tim were quick to follow. The brothers walked over to the edge of the alley where Dick and Jason's motorcycle were. Tim joined Dick on his, while Damian hitched a ride with Jason.

The four rode off, eventually stopping in front of an old factory. Their father waiting for them in his entirely black costume. Before Jason had even turned off the motor for the bike, Damian had jumped off and was running to his father.

"Robin!" Dick and Tim screeched at the same time. Jason just laughed.

Batman turned around and looked at his sons. "Red Hood, Robin, Night Wing, Red Robin, do you bring any news?" he asked, his voice deep and kind of scratchy. It kind of reminded Damian of when he dared Dick to gargle a mixture of sand water and gravel, and then recite some poetry from Tim's collection.

Tim nodded. "Yes, Batman. Night Wing, Robin and I have found this," He snatched the card from Dick and handed it off to their father.

"Hey!" Dick protested.

Batman inspected the card, then looked at the factory. "This lines up perfectly with the information that Red Hood and I found--"

"Then let's go get 'em!" Jason interrupted. The 6'3 gun firing vigilante pulled out two-shot guns, one for each hand, and started charging in.

"Jason, wait!" Batman cried, but Jason had already started opening the door. A bomb went off, triggered by the door opening, and Jason was blasted backward.

.....

Damian spun his pencil around in his fingers, staring at the clock as he waited for school to end. After what felt like days of painful waiting, the clock finally struck 2:10, and the bell rang. Without a second thought, Damian collected his things and sprang from his seat, darting out the door. He ran at top speed until he met Tim in the courtyard where Aldred was waiting for them.

"Come on!" Tim urged, already opening the door to hop into the limo.

"I'm coming!" Damian snapped back uttering a few curses under his breath.

"Damian!" Lara called from behind him.

The green-eyed Wayne stopped dead in his tracks and looked at Lara.

"Where are you going?" she asked with innocent curiosity, her eyes scanning Tim and the limo.

"Um, my brother's in the hospital..." Damian murmured.

Lara looked shocked for a moment, but then her expression filled with sympathy. "Dami, I'm so sorry. I-I hope he gets better soon! What happened?"

"Dami..." the youngest Wayne boy heard his brother snicker under his breath.

"A bad motorcycle accident," Damian lied.

"I'm so sorry," Lara repeated. "I hope he's alright," Her eyes met Tim's.

"Hello there," Tim greeted her.

"Hi,"

Tim held out his hand. "Trim Drake-Wayne. Damian's brother,"

Lara shook his hand courteously. "Lara,"

"You can come to the hospital with us if you want!" Tim said a little too cheerfully.

Lara shyly bit her lip and glanced at Damian, as if asking for his permission.

Damian eyed her, then looked at his brother. He knew what Tim was trying to do, but he had to admit that he missed Lara. They only had one class together, and all of his patrols had stopped him from texting her after school, though he always told her that he was just always having to be tutored. "I'm fine with it," he finally said.

Tim smirked and Lara grinned timidly. "Thanks," she whispered in a sheepish tone. "I'll text my mom,"

"Cool," Tim said before entering the car.

Damian gestured Lara inside, and then followed her in. Tim and Damian sat near the windows, with Lara in between them.

"The hospital, Master Tim?" Alfred asked from the front seat.

"Yes," Tim replied.

Alfred nodded, then noticed Lara. "Who might you be, miss?"

"I'm Lara," Lara explained, "a friend of Damian's,"

Alfred smiled, causing his brilliant mustache to crinkle. "My. It's rare for Master Damian to make friends, you must be very proud of yourself for breaking through his tough shell,"

Lara laughed. "He's actually quite a dork underneath all that, 'touch me and I'll kill you!'"

Damian coughed out of shock while taking a sip from his water bottle. "Hey! Just a minute now!"

Tim started cracking up.

Damian sneered. "And YOU, Lara, are a real 'touch me and I'll kill you!' underneath all that dork!"

Lara pursed her lips and shrugged sassily. "Perhaps,"

Tim laughed some more. "Damian, you've gotta keep this girl around!"

Damian pouted crossing his arms and sighing. He mumbled some curses under his breath, earning him a slap on the shoulder from Poor-Innocent-Lara. Damian had to hold back a yelp from her hitting him. The area where her hand hit him was stinging with a passion, which he found strange considering that it hardly hurt when TIM hit him!

.....

The three teens walked into Jason's hospital room. Dick was sitting in a chair off in the corner, with Bruce Wayne at his injured son's bedside, tenderly gripping his arm. The two stood up when they saw Damian, Tim, and Lara enter the room.

Dick hugged his brothers. "His heartbeat is slowly reaching a regular pace,"

"That's good," Tim commented before turning to his father. "How are you?"

Bruce shrugged. "One of my sons is in the hospital, but other than that I'm fine," He was about to address Damian when he saw the girl beside him. "Who-who is this?" he asked, a smile threatening to form.

"This is Lara," Damian said, not meeting his father's eyes, "a friend from school,"

Bruce slightly grinned and held out his hand. "Pleased to meet you, Lara. It's a real shock to discover that my youngest son is introducing friends to the family,"

Lara smiled while shaking his hand. "So I've heard, Mr. Wayne,"

Dick walked over to her, holding out his own hand. "Richard John Grayson-Wayne," he said, "but my friends call me Dick,"

Lara shook his hand as well. "Pleasure,"

Dick winked. "I hope that means you won't be addressing me as Richard,"

Lara smirked. "Of course not, Mr. Wayne Jr.,"

Damian, Tim, and Bruce chuckled lightly.

Bruce gestured for Damian and Lara to make themselves at home. The two fourteen-year-olds made themselves comfortable on the couch, Lara chuckling as she watched Tim and Dick share the small recliner chair. The Wayne family interacted with Lara as if she was one of them, and Damian could tell that his brothers and father were already attached to the small ball of sarcasm that he brought to the hospital with him. He wasn't sure how to feel about that.

.....

"So, Lara," Bruce Wayne said as he drove his car on his way to drop Lara off at home, "what do your parents do?"

"My parents are journalists," Lara answered.

Bruce smiled and looked at her in the backseat beside Damian. "Really? A good friend of mine is a reporter,"

"That's cool," Lara responded.

Damian wasn't sure how he felt about his father's small talk with Lara but certainly hoped that it wouldn't end with: "Please sign these adoption papers. I don't care if you already have parents, just sign here,"

"This is my house," Lara informed Mr. Wayne, who pulled into her driveway and allowed the scrappy teenage girl to get out.

Damian got out of the car too, walking Lara up to her front door. He wasn't sure why, but it was just something that Dick had always rammed into his brain due to all of his rants about Barbara. "Always walk a girl to the door," he would say, "Makes her feel more appreciated and a bit safer, even if you know she could murder you no problem," For some reason, Damian thought that applied to the present moment.

"Thanks for coming with me to the hospital," Damian thanked. "It-it really means a lot to me. I'm not used to having someone that I can trust that I know won't tease me TOO BADLY,"

Lara laughed. "Well thanks for inviting me, I mean, Tim invited me but, you let me go,"

There was a pause.

"I hope Jason gets better," Lara told him, her voice like a melody.

"Yeah, me too," Damian agreed. After a moment of silence, he said goodbye and Lara disappeared into her house.

.....

The next time they visited Jason, he was awake and rather furious that he had missed Lara.

"You mean to tell me that I missed being introduced to my baby brother's GIRLFRIEND!" he shrieked.

Damian wanted to shout at him and say: "She's not my girlfriend! Shut up you big redhead who pretends to be a brunette!" but he couldn't manage to even part his lips.

Dick and Tim started laughing and in union said: "You're not denying it!" while pointing mockingly at their brother.

"Hey!" Damian snapped. "Shut up! We're just friends!" The words were bitter on Damian's tongue. This was because he knew it wasn't true. Maybe to Lara, that statement was true, but not to Damian. No. To Damian, Lara was much more than just a friend.


	4. Chapter 4

Damian was sitting with Lara in the courtyard as he waited for Alfred. 

“So, what do you have going on after school today?” Lara asked.

Damian shrugged. “Not much. Jason is still in the hospital but his girlfriend is visiting him today, and she honestly kinda scares me,”

Lara laughed. “Damian Wayne, are you admitted you being afraid of someone?”

Damian glared at her. “Hey, I’m just as scared of her as you would be!”

Lara smirked as if she knew something he didn’t. “Whatever you say, Dami,”

“Master Damian,” Alfred called from the limo as he pulled up. “Hello Miss Lara,”

“Hello Alfred,” Lara greeted.

Damian glanced at his butler, then back at Lara. “Would you like to come to my house for dinner?” he asked, wanting to punch himself after realizing what he had suggested.

Lara purses her lips and looked at her phone. “I would love that, thank you. I’m gonna be home alone tonight anyways. I’ll text my parents,”

Damian smiled, and the two hopped into the limo. Alfred smiled at the two and started driving to Wayne Manor. The green-eyed teen boy found himself gazing at his friend. Lara was staring out the window in deep thought, her sky blue eyes sparkling with joyous curiosity and wisdom. Without realizing it, Damian started smiling.

.....

“So, Lara, what do you do for fun?” Dick asked as he took a bite of the taco in front of him.

Lara smiled, covering her mouth respectfully as she chewed. After swallowing she answered him. “I fence and enjoy reading and writing,”

Tim smiled. “That’s cool!”

Lara looked at her friend's older brother. “Why weren’t you at school today? Typically you’re with Damian waiting for Alfred?” she asked.

The table went quiet. Damian pursed his lips as he looked at his brother. Tim had left school early to accompany their father on a patrol because Jason was in the hospital and Dick was in an important college lecture. However, Lara couldn’t know that.

“I had a dentist appointment,” Tim lied. “I’ve been having a bad toothache,”

“I see,” Lara uttered, her tone convincing, but Damian felt like she was skeptical.

Bruce took a sip from his glass before suggesting that Damian showed Lara the library. “I’m sure she’d love it!” he stated.

Damian smiles weakly then looked at Lara. 

“It sounds fun!” she commented, taking a bite of her taco.

“Okay then. I’ll show you it,” Damian said.

Lara grinned as much as she could with her mouth filled with taco.

.....

“This is amazing!” Lara gasped. The expression on her face was awestruck. Happiness just bubbles out of her, and her laughter could be heard aching throughout the Giant library.

Damian grinned with his hands in his pockets. “I’m glad you like it,” he murmured. Just watching Lara’s enthusiasm made his heart swell with joy. 

He loved this girl.

They wander around, Damian showing her all of the little reading corners and the two sat down in front of the large fireplace. Lara was reading Tim’s favorite copy of “The Works of Sherlock Holmes” while Damian was pretending to read some gothic story. He would continuously glance up from the pages and see Lara. Her eyes were scanning each and every word on the page, an expression of contentment on her face. It made the youngest Wayne son smile. How did he manage to become friends with such a nerdy ball of fire?

Her blue streak of fair seemed to shine in the firelight, and Damian noticed that it was the exact same color as her gorgeous eyes.

Lara looked up from her book at him, and he quickly glanced back down at his book, forcing his grin to disappear. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lara smile.

.....

Damian was on a solo patrol. He was rarely allowed to do those, but with Jason in the hospital, Tim and Dick studying, and his father in a meeting, he was given permission.

He was just looking out for casual crimes, like a robbery or something. He found himself jumping across the rooftops near the street that led to Lara’s neighborhood.

Unknowingly wanting to make sure Lara was okay, he started patrolling in that direction. He was about to pass his friends house when he heard a shatter come from inside.

Without a second thought, Damian charged in through the unlocked front door.

There were a pair of thieves rummaging through the belongings of Lara’s family.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Damian asked.

The two crooks looked at him. Damian was infuriated by the fact that there was no fear in their eyes.

“Oh no!” one cried mockingly. “It’s the little birdie! Whatever will we do?”

“You can shut up and stop robbing us!” a voice commented from the library of the house. Lara held a fencing sword in her right hand, and a Spanish dictionary in the other.

The 5’2 teenager jabbed at one thief with her sword while smacking the other with her dictionary.

“Lay off!” Damian ordered, deepening his voice a bit. He gently shoved Lara out of the way and attacked the thieves, however, Lara was stubborn. As Damian punched she kicked, and one thief was sent flying across the room much to Damian’s surprise! Lara fought well for an untrained teenage girl, and it only made Damian see her as more amazing.

After one final punch, Damian had knocked out the final thief. He looked at Lara. “Call the police,” he demanded.

Lara saluted with a nod and ran to her phone.

As she called the police the young girl stared at Damian, her eyes filling with something, but he wasn’t sure what. She smiled after getting off the phone and walked over to him. She hugged Damian. “Thanks for saving me, Robin,” she thanked.

Damian pushes her off, not wanting to be tempted to act as though he was Damian at the time. “Just my job, Miss,” he said. He then repressed a smile, and ran out the door, feeling like a dork of a vigilante.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, Lara!" Damian called to his best friend from across the auditorium. Gotham High had just finished a huge Pep-Rally, and the youngest Wayne had spotted his blue-haired friend from in the crowd mere moments after he arrived.

Lara grinned at him and they both ran, meeting each other in the middle as they started to make their way back to their classes. "Hi, Damian," she replied. Lara sounded happy, but her usual enthusiastic tone seemed off like she had something on her mind, and her fingers were drumming nervously on the book she was holding.

"Something wrong?" Damian asked.

Lara shrugged and grinned reassuringly. "It's nothing,"

He wanted to believe her but despite her perfect facial expression of contentment, Damian couldn't due to her fingers nervous drumming. "Lara, what is it?" he asked sternly.

Lara pursed her lips and looked away from him. "I told you, Dami, it's nothing," she practically snapped, the use of the nickname causing the Wayne boy's heart rate to increase.

Damian held back a snarl. He loved this girl partially for how stubborn she was, but at the same time, it annoyed him to pieces. "Just tell me!" he demanded, repressing a curse.

The blue-eyed girl sighed and reluctantly began to explain. "I have to go to a party tonight," she uttered.

Damian furrowed his brows questioningly. "What?"

"Last block someone said that I was too much of a nerd to be able to go to a party, and when I told them 'bet' they said that if I went to the party at Jack Kelperson's house and stayed there until midnight, he'd do whatever I want for a week!" Lara admitted, speaking rapidly and passionately like she always did.

Damian eyed her. "So you're distressed because you have a bet to win?"

She nodded.

"So what's the problem? I know you can go to the party! You texted me last night and said that your mother has an article to write and your father has a meeting!" he replied.

"But I won't know anyone there!" Lara argued. "It'll be so awkward and I'll hate it!"

Damian pursed his lips. She had a tiny bit of a point. Before he could stop himself, he blurted out: "Maybe I could go with you,"

Lara stared at him in shock, but then her look of surprise changed to gratitude. One glance into those sky blue eyes and Damian knew that there was no going back. He was going to a party with Lara that night.

.....

At seven-thirty, Damian was dressed in a light blue sleeveless shirt with black jeans and a leather jacket. He was ready to go to the party, but the teasing he was getting from his siblings was unbearable.

"All dressed up for the date with your GIRLFRIEND!" Dick cackled from the doorway.

Damian grabbed the nearest object and threw it at his brother, causing the poor lamp to shatter as it hit the wall after Dick ducked. "Shut up!" the green-eyed Wayne shrieked.

"Damian! Alfred's ready to pick up your girlfriend and take you two to the party!" Tim shouted from one floor beneath him.

Damian grabbed his phone and wallet before charging down the stairs. He met Alfred in the lobby, and from there went into the limo. "To Miss Lara's I presume, Master Damian?" Alfred asked.

Damian nodded wordlessly, staring out the window with his chin on his fist. He wasn't sure what to expect. Sure, he had been to parties before, many types of them, galas with his father, high school parties with Tim, college parties to help Dick drag Jason away from the swarm of girls surrounding him, and many many more, but this one would be different. This was the first party he would ever voluntarily attend.

Damian: I'm on my way

Lara: Cool

Lara: Thx for agreeing to come with me😅

Damian: Np

When they eventually reached Lara's house, and Damian saw his blue-eyed friend waiting on her porch, staring down to the pages of the book in her lap. Lara looked up and noticed the limo pulling up. She opened her front door, exchanging her book for her phone. Damian hopped out of the car and walked over to her. The two hugged and when they pulled away Damian got a good look at Lara. He was starstruck. The girl was wearing black ripped jeans and a camo T-shirt with a jean jacket.

"You look..." he found himself muttering, "...great,"

Lara smiled. "Thanks. You look great too!"

Damian almost blushed but regained his composure quick enough to prevent it. The two teens got into the limo, and Alfred began to drive off.

.....

The music was loud and almost deafening. Damian had to admit that he didn't mind it though, especially because he thought it was cute how Lara kept bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. A tall Sophmore by the name of James Tarket walked over to him, and Lara instantly stopped bouncing. Damian could tell that she had shifted into "be prepared to kill" mode.

"I can see you actually came, nerd!" James laughed, then he noticed Damian. "You've also brought a friend. Gotta keep that gold digger mindset sharp!"

Damian could see Lara's eyes darken with anger. She would've gladly punched James, and Damian could see her hands were shaking with fury.

"Lara's not a gold digger!" Damian snapped, squaring up with the Sophmore. He was a good half-inch taller than James, and his green eyes glared down at him. "Call her one again and you'll wish you were never born!"

"I'd watch what you say, Wayne!" James growled before looking back at Lara. "I'll see you at midnight, that is, if you don't chicken out by then,"

"I wouldn't count on me chickening out, Tarket," Lara hissed. "And I'll have to agree with Damian. Call me a gold digger again and you'll be sorry!"

James crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, not at all intimidated by the tiny fireball of sarcasm that Damian called his best friend. "Later, losers," he said with a wave before walking off into the crowd.

"Why I oughta..." Lara snarled, her eyes gazing in James' direction with loathing.

As the night went on, the two actually started to enjoy themselves. They made fun of idiots, joked around, threw cookies at each other, ate pizza, nearly spilled Lara's can of lemonade onto Damian's lap, and much more. Ten o'clock soon crept along. Two hours left to go.

"Yo! Wayne!" a Junior boy called from a group of kids in the living room of the house. They sat in a circle as if it was needed for whatever party game they were playing. "Come over here!"

Damian looked over his shoulder and saw a boy from his study hall that always asked him for lunch money. He started walking towards him, Lara grabbing his arm to not lose him in the crowd on their way over.

"What do you want?" he grumbled.

"Truth or dare?" the Junior asked.

Damian stared at him without a response.

"Truth or dare?" the Junior repeated.

Damian eventually sighed. "Truth,"

"Chicken,"

He glared at the upperclassman. "What now?"

"Damian," Lara warned, squeezing his arm.

"I called you a chicken!" the Junior explained. "Only chickens pick truth!"

Damian tried to come up with a comeback, but Lara beat him to it.

"So that's how you manage to get through these games," she retorted.

The group went: "Ooooooooooh!" with their hands cupped over their mouths.

"Shut up, you short little piece of tra--" the Junior tried to say, but then Damian slapped him across the face.

"Damian!" Lara snapped, lightly hitting his shoulder.

The Junior glared at Damian, but the Wayne boy quickly said: "Dare" to get the other boy's mind off of the fact that he had just slapped him.

"I dare you," the Junior began, "to join us in our game of Spin the Bottle," He smirked as if knowing that Damian wouldn't do it.

Damian pursed his lips. The stubborn side of him was telling him to never back down from a dare, but the smart side of him was saying: "Don't do that to Lara," 

He took a step back, starting to turn around as he wrapped his arm around Lara's shoulder to guide her away, but then someone blurted out: "The both of you are cowards!"

That made Damian's blood boil, and he swiftly spun around. "Fine," he agreed. "I'll play your stupid game,"

The group laughed in triumph and pointed to an empty recliner. Damian looked at Lara, who seemed to understand, and he sat down in the chair. His blue-eyed friend sat down on the arm of the chair, and the group started whistling and clapping when they realized that Lara had joined the circle.

"Woo! Damian AND Lara are playing!" one girl cheered.

"Hey!" Damian barked. "You said I had to play, not Lara. She's just staying with me!"

Lara smiled and nudged his shoulder approvingly. "You took the words right outta my mouth,"

The group didn't seem to argue, and the game continued. So far Damian had not been forced into anything. The large group made it take a long time for it to be his turn to spin, and the bottle never landed on him. When it did though, the group fell silent, staring at him eagerly. All of the girls looked anxious as if they had been waiting for this moment their entire lives. it made Damian sick to his stomach, and he could tell that Lara was just as uncomfortable as him, but he couldn't back out now.

"One spin?" Damian asked.

"One spin," a Freshman girl agreed.

Damian sighed. He glanced nervously at Lara, who was looking at him sympathetically, before spinning the empty Coke bottle. It spun around for roughly ten seconds before slowing down. It passed a Sophmore boy, two Freshman girls, and a Junior girl, before finally landing on...

Damian glanced at Lara, her cheeks aflame.

The entire group started laughing and joking before starting to chant: "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

"Just kiss Lara already, Wayne!" a Senior shouted. "We all already know you two are dating!"

Damian and Lara both opened their mouths to argue, but were interrupted by another round of: "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

They looked at each other, but then Lara looked out at the group. "His spin proves false! I'm not playing the game, but he can't spin again! Therefore, it must go to the next person, right?"

Everyone shook their heads. "Anyone in the circle is fair game,"

Damian and Lara's eyes met once again. Damian knew that she really didn't wanna do it, and he didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

"Damian, let's just get it over with," Lara uttered.

Just as she said that Damian lightly pecked her cheek. Their faces caught fire.

"Hey!" one girl protested. "On the lips, Wayne! Play by the rules!"

"I said I'd play!" Damian snapped back. "I never said I'd play by the rules! Let's go, Lara!"

The two got out of the recliner and quickly escaped to the other side of the house. Damian checked his phone for the time. "Eleven-fifteen," he told Lara. "Five minutes left,"

"Good," Lara sighed. "I don't think I could last much longer here!"

"Yeah," Damian agreed.

The two were silent for a moment, but then Damian blurted out: "Hey, um, a-are we cool?"

"Beg your pardon?" Lara asked. Oh, how Damian loved how she had read so many British novels that it had adjusted her vocabulary.

"I mean, we're fine even after the Spin the Bottle fiasco, right?" he clarified.

Lara stared at him, her brows furrowed. "Are you daft? Of course we're fine! Neither of us wanted to do that! It was forced upon you and I can't hold that against you! I completely understand!"

Damian sighed with relief. "Good,"

.....

After midnight struck, Damian and Lara met up with James to prove that she had won the bet, but then had Alfred pick them up. In the limo, the two were silent due to exhaustion, they had even dozed off.

"Master Damian, we have reached Miss Lara's address," Alfred said, waking the green-eyed Wayne from his slumber. He lifted his head, blushing as he realized that it had been resting on Lara's.

Alfred looked at the two from the front seat, chuckling a bit as he saw Lara fast asleep, all curled up next to Damian with her head on his shoulder. "You might wanna wake the young lady, Master Damian," he suggested with a chuckle.

Damian didn't really want to. It was too nice to have Lara so close to him. He wanted to doze back off and have the moment never end, but he knew that Lara had to leave. He gently shook her shoulder. "Lara," he whispered sweetly, "Lara. Pst. Wake up,"

Lara groaned and nuzzled a bit closer to him. "Whaaaaaaaat?"

Damian blushed. "Lara, you-you have to go home,"

She lifted her eyelids, revealing those sky blue orbs that Damian loved so much. Lara lifted her head from his shoulder.

"Oh my gosh!" she frantically uttered. "I-I'm so sorry, Damian. I didn't mean to fall asleep, I--"

"Lara, you're fine," he interrupted, cupping a hand over her mouth.

Lara being the child that she was, licked his hand to get it to move.

She moved to the door. "Bye Damian, thanks for coming with me. Bye, Alfred!"

"Bye, Lara," Damian said at the same time that Alfred said: "Goodbye, Miss Lara,"

With a playful and thankful grin, Lara got out of the limo and disappeared into her house.

.....

Damian was lying peacefully in bed, dreaming about nothing in particular, when he was rudely awakened by a wild Tim.

"Argh!" he growled.

Tim looked at him as if he was sorry for waking him. "Sorry, Damian, but there's news,"

Damian glanced at his brother before stuffing his face back into his pillow. "What kind of news?"

"Good," Tim said, "and bad,"

Damian looked at him, silently saying that he was listening.

Tim sighed. "The good news is that Jason's out of the hospital--"

Damian rolled his eyes. "That's hardly good news," he grumbled. He loved his brother, but he wasn't going to actually SHOW IT. That's not tough!

"--but the bad news is that the Joker has him--"

Damian bolted up, staring at Tim with wide eyes.

And as if things couldn't get any worse, Tim then continued: "--and Lara..."


	6. Chapter 6

Damian was filled with so much anger. As soon as Tim had told him that Lara had been taken too, he changed into his suit and ran out into the city, his trusty sword at hand. He didn't care if his father grounded him for the rest of his life for acting so recklessly. Lara was in danger, and his vision had gone red from anger. He didn't care what he damaged or who he hurt. No one messed with the people Damian cared about.Not his father, not his butler, not even his brothers, and ESPECIALLY not Lara.

"I'll find you, Lara," he vowed to the wind. "Even if it means I have to search for a hundred years,"

.....

A week had gone by. No sign of Jason or Lara and no one had heard from the Joker since. Damian slammed his fist on the desk, then glanced over into Commissioner Gordan's office. He could see four people there, three men and a woman. The woman was sobbing into one of the men's shoulders, and Damian assumed the two were Lara's parents. He had not yet met them face to face, but his father had assured him that as soon as things were sorted out with Lara he would let her parents meet him. Damian wasn't sure what that meant, but he trusted his father.

The door to Commissioner Gordan's office opened and his father came out.

"So?" Damian asked. "Any leads?"

Bruce Wayne shook his head. "I'm sorry, Son. There's no sign of her or Jason,"

Damian fell back into his chair and buried his head in his hands, choking back a sob. "No..." he whimpered. "No! No! No! No!"

Bruce hugged his son tenderly. "We'll find them," he promised, "you can count on that,"

"Father, I don't know what to do..." Damian wept. "Lara meant the world to me! So did Jason! I love them both so much!" It took Damian a moment to realize what he had just admitted. He looked at his father. "I-I don't love Lara like THAT, Father! I assure you of that, but--"

Mr. Wayne placed a hand on his son's black hair. He chuckled in a way that was both sad and amused. "Damian, you can't lie to me about her. Your brothers, Alfred, and I have known about your feelings for her since we first heard you say her name three months ago,"

Damian shivered a bit. It was hard for him to believe that he had already known her for that long. "I'm that obvious, aren't I?"

Mr. Wayne chuckled sadly again and sat beside his son, an arm around his shoulders. "No, Damian. That's not true. It doesn't matter anyway. Let's just try and focus on finding Lara and your brother,"

Damian sniffed and nodded, feeling embarrassed about burying his face into his father's chest. "Yeah," he agreed.

.....

"Damian! Tim!" Dick cried, charging into the library where Damian and Tim had been reading.

"What? the two brothers asked in union.

"They have a lead!" Dick announced.

Tim and Damian glanced at each other, then at their brother, who was already in his suit. Soon enough the three brothers were in the Batcave.

"Batman'll meet us there!" Dick said as he hopped onto his motorcycle. "Only one of you can ride with me, Tim? Wanna take Jason's bike? I'm sure he'll want it as soon as we rescue him,"

Tim nodded and got onto his brother's bike.

The three rode off into the streets of Gotham, ready to meet their father to save their brother and their brother's "girlfriend".

.....

They hid in the shadows. Damian wanted to dive in and mercilessly fight until he had Jason and Lara back, safe and sound like his mother would've planned, but he wasn't like her. He was being trained by his father now and in the words of his father: "A man who believes he has nothing to lose kills, while a man who knows he has everything to lose would rather be killed."

Those words meant everything to Damian because at this moment he knew how true they were.

He looked down into the old hair product factory. "Batman--"

"Shhh!" his father shooshed and pointed at a figure among the darkness.

The figure flicked a single light switch, illuminating a large portion of the building. Thankfully Damian and his family were still hidden under a cover of darkness.

"Prisoners, I'm hooooooome!" the Joker sang merrily in the direction of a large glass box that Damian hadn't noticed before despite the blood-red light that shimmered from it.

Damian curled his hands into tight fists. "I'm gonna kill him..." he growled, not really meaning it, but he was so mad!

He jumped down from his ledge gracefully and silently, wanting a better look at who or what was in the glass cage. Batman looked at him and silently scolded his son, but Damian didn't care. All he wanted to know was if Lara and Jason were okay.

He heard a loud thud against the glass and noticed two figures trapped inside. Their faces were masked by the red lighting, but Damian recognized them anyways. One figure was tall and muscular, while the other was short and thin with long hair.

He had found them. Jason and Lara were alright.

"You'll never get away with this!" he heard Lara scream.

"Wait 'til Batman gets his hands on you!" Jason agreed, Damian's brother's fists ramming repeatedly against the glass.

The Joker cackled and walked over to the glass. "Easy there, Red Hood, wouldn't want to frighten our young hybrid now would we?" he mocked.

Lara scowled and banged on the glass even more. "Fight me!" she challenged.

The Joker laughed once more. "Not yet, Little Miss Super! Your daddy still hasn't come in to save you or his friend's son,"

Damian's mind flooded with questions, but before he could ask any, his father jumped down beside him. "Red Robin and Nightwing are in position, when the signal occurs we strike," he whispered into his son's ear.

"What's the signal?" Damian murmured back.

Batman's expression remained emotionless. "You'll know,"

Damian stared for a moment, but then looked back over to his brother and Lara. He kept closer, just close enough to make out their expressions.

The Joker was prancing around like a king as his prisoners watched, boiling with anger. Jason looked about ready to kill, which to be honest was him most of the time, so Damian wasn't very surprised. It was Lara's expression that shocked him. Her sky blue eyes were like raging blue-hot fires set ablaze by fury. She looked like she could take on an entire army single-handedly and then maybe have a single scratch on her cheek or something. It made Damian sick to his stomach, seeing his best friend like this. The girl that had always been like a ray of sunshine was now resembling the warrior he always knew was inside.

"Just wait 'til Lexy Boy comes and sees you! Oh, he'll be so happy to know that the Boy-In-Blue's daughter is now powerless!" Joker said with a huge grin.

"Boy-In-Blue...?" Damian repeated, but before he could properly think through what was happening, a blur of blue and red broke through the roof.

The blur tackled the Joker, the man in the purple suit's laughter was silenced.

"Dad!" Lara shouted joyfully from the glass caged, and Damian was becoming more confused by the second.

The blur stood up revealing itself to be a tall man in a blue suit with a red cape.

"Superman," Damian muttered, even more confused than before.

Superman, with the Joker still in his grasp, shattered the glass cage. Lara leaped into the Man of Steel's arms, hugging him tightly. Damian couldn't fully hear what they were saying, but he heard one line: "I love you, Dad,"

"Go!" Damian's own father shouted.

Damian saw his brothers pounce onto the Joker, and his father ran over to Jason, handing him his mask. He joined the rest of his family and hugged his brother tightly. 

"What? Did my tough little brother miss me?" Jason teased.

"Shut up..." Damian grumbled.

He let go of Jason and turned around to face Superman who had his hands resting lovingly on Lara's shoulders as he spoke with her. Damian made eye contact with him, and Lara turned around.

"Damian!" she shrieked, running over to her friend. She hugged him tightly. "Thank goodness you guys found us!"

Damian was so shocked that he was hugging Lara once again, that he didn't even realize that he had been addressed by his real name while in costume. He closed his eyes and held her close to him. Tears were forming in his eyes and he stared silently sobbing. "I thought I lost you! The Joker has taken my brothers before and hurt them! He's done so much to my family! I thought that I was gonna lose you too!"

Superman walked over to the two. "Lara, I assume this is Damian?"

Lara smiled at her father and nodded. "He's a Wayne, and a Batboy," she said, placing a had on her hip as a matter of factly.

This made Damian realize that Lara somehow knew his identity.

"Lara, can I--can we talk? Privately?" he requested.

Lara looked at him with an unreadable expression before looking at her dad and then nodding.

Damian turned around after grabbing Lara's hand to pull her to another party of the factory, when his father told him that they would be returning to Wayne Manor.

"We'll join you," Superman said, ruffling his daughter's hair.

Lara smiled at him, then turned the smile towards Damian. Her charming and innocent grin made the boy wonder weak at the knees.

.....

"So," Damian began, tossing his hooded cape and mask aside, "how long have you known?"

"Known what?" Lara asked playfully, uncrossing her arms and moving out of the corner of his bedroom, taking a seat on top of his desk.

"About me," Damian pushed almost angry. "About Robin!"

Lara looked crushed that her humor only resulted in anger from her friend. "I've known for a while. I had my suspicions since I met you at Gotham High, but I never could prove it until the break-in," she sighed.

Damian glanced at her before grabbing a change of clothes and walking into his bathroom. He closed the door but continued to talk with her, speaking a tiny bit louder now. "How'd you figure it out?" he asked before he could stop himself. "Nevermind," he uttered as he stripped off his tunic.

"I'm the daughter of Superman, Dami," Lara responded with a faint almost unnoticeable laugh. "I have my ways,"

Damian finished changing and walked back into his room. "So I take it you have his powers then?"

She glanced at him guiltily from on his desk and then began to hover over it. "Bingo,"

"So that's why the cage was glowing red, red sunlight. It stops yours and your father's powers,"

Lara nodded. "Yup,"

"So, does that make you, like, the second Supergirl?" Damian asked.

Lara laughed and flew over to her friend's side before hovering beside him criss-cross-applesauce. "What? You want me to dress in a white crop top with the symbol of the house of El with a blue short skirt and some red boots and a cape?" she suggested teasingly.

Damian's cheeks flushed red. "That wouldn't be _that_ bad,"

Lara slapped his shoulder.

"Ow!" Damian cried. "Well, at least I know why you're so strong now,"

Lara smirked. "Does a girl need a reason?"

"If she's Kryptonian, maybe,"

Lara looked like she was considering slapping him again. Thankfully, she didn't. "Technically I'm a hybrid,"

"Now don't make yourself sound so much like an animal, Lara," Damian said in a firm tone.

"Most intelligent beings on earth that cannot qualify as human are known as such,"

Damian set a hand on her shoulder, causing the girl with a blue streak in her hair to stand rather than hove rin a sitting position. "You're the most human person I know," he promised her. Damian was tempted to cup her cheek but didn't want to make his friend uncomfortable.

Lara smiled caringly at him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and flying upwards to that she was the same height as him. "Thanks for that, little birdie,"

Damian smirked. "Little birdie?"

Lara returned the expression. "Well yeah, Dami. What else would you be?"

The two started laughing but were interrupted by Dick walking uninvited into Damian's room.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," he said with a wink towards his brother.

Lara planted her feet on the ground and Damian removed her arm from around his shoulders. "No," the Wayne boy said. "So what do you need, Dick?"

Dick smiled. "Well, I came up here to tell you about a few things. First, the Kents are staying for dinner where they'll explain why they're so far from Metropolis, second, we're making plans to find out what the Joker was up to and where Luthor fits into it all, and third, we're making Lara Kent here a suit,"


	7. Chapter 7

Damian was sitting beside Lara at the dining table. His father was at the head of the table with Lara's dad Clark Kent to his left. Damian was to the right of his father, and Lara was to Damian's right. Across from Lara was her mother Lois Kent, and to her left was Dick who was sitting beside Barbara. Across from Barbara was Stephanie, and across from Dick was Tim. Next to Barbara was Rose who was to the right of Jason who sat at the head of the table opposite his father.

Damian looked over the guests. Mr. Kent was a tall man with a strong build. His blue eyes were hidden behind his glasses, but he could detect the kindness and trust they held as he looked at Lara. Damian had expected Mrs. Kent to have blonde hair like Lara but was very wrong. She had raven black hair and dark hazel eyes that seemed to also have faint specks of blue in them. Barbara had curly auburn hair and eyes that didn't seem to know whether they were blue or green, and like always she was dressed in nice office attire. Stephanie was quite the opposite. She had straight blonde hair and bright amber eyes, and she was dressed in a pink and blue flannel and jeans.

Rose was the most terrifying out of them all, she had to be if she was gonna be dating Damian's brother Jason. She had ghostly white hair and eyes as black as night. Her lips were blood red and she was dressed in a leather spiked jacket. Damian had never seen her smile unless she was with Jason and they were doing something that involved violence and probably blood.

Damian's father was speaking with Mr. Kent like an old friend, which Damian realized they were. Mrs. Kent was making polite conversation with Tim and his girlfriend Stephanie, discussing a recent article she had published, while Jason was whispering quietly with Rose, the two being all couply, and Dick seemed to be trying to convince Barbara to marry him for most likely the eighth time that month. Damian had come to memorize her response: "I love you, Dick, but I need to focus on training to take my father's place. Once I'm Commissioner I promise I will marry you!"

That left him and Lara to talk until the proper explaining began, which wasn't at all a problem. The two talked like nothing had happened, and Damian filled her in on what she had missed in her classes.

When Alfred began bringing dinner out for them, the group fell silent. When everyone's plates were made, Mr. Kent cleared his throat and explained the reason himself and his family were in Gotham. Apparently he had caught word that Luthor not only had figured out his secret identity but had also teamed up with the Joker in order to try and get rid of Superman, Batman, and all of those who help them.

"That's actually why I dyed my hair," Lara whispered to Damian.

"What?" he asked.

She nodded. "My hair's actually black like my dad's, but my mom convinced me to dye it out of fear for me, but at least I got a stripe!"

Damian then found himself wondering what Lara looked like with black hair. As he imagined it, his heart fluttered, not because Lara looked even more beautiful with dark hair (because she did) but rather because he had learned something else about Lara that many people probably didn't know.

As the group ate their dinner, Lara and Damian listened intently to their parents and elders as they formulated a plan to stop Luthor.

"I say we interrogate the Joker!" Lara suggested, accidentally squeezing her fork too hard and bending it so that she had little grooves for her fingers.

Mr. Kent looked at Lara. "Lara, I don't want you to be a part of this anymore! I don't want you in d--"

"Dad! No! I have to be a part of this! Dick even said they're getting a suit for me!" she fought back, standing up.

"Lara," her father warned, but the girl of steel stood her ground.

"I'm a member of the House of El too, Dad! I have the same powers as you AND I'm more resistant to kryptonite than you are!" Lara challenged. "Please! Just trust me and give me a chance to fight! I'm just as strong as you are, besides, Damian is going out and risking his life, and there is no way I'm letting him go out there without me, and you do NOT wanna deal with a Damian who doesn't get what he wants!"

Damian's brothers all nodded their heads in agreement.

"What she says is true," Tim said.

Mr. Kent sighed. "Fine, but, that means that you're gonna have to adjust to a disguise and everything," he said, giving in.

Lara laughed with triumph and looked at Damian with a massive grin on her face.

Damian didn't know how to feel. Sure, he knew that Lara could pack a punch and was very powerful, however, he hated the idea of her getting hurt. Daughter of Superman or not he was still not comfortable with the risk of losing Lara again.

.....

"There is NO WAY I'm wearing this!" Lara said from the changing rooms.

"Just show us already!" Dick countered.

Damian was sitting on a couch with Tim, Dick, and their girlfriends. "Come on, Lara," he prompted. "If you don't like that one just show us and then you can try another one!"

Lara groaned and walked out onto the catwalk of the Wayne Manor fashion wing. The first suit that she had tried on was a long-sleeved blue crop top with the symbol of the house of El. She was wearing a red skirt that Damian knew was way too short for her comfort, and her boots and cape were similar to the skirt. Too short.

"I'm sorry, but hate it," Lara admitted to Stephanie and Barbara. 

The two former Batgirls looked at each other, then back at Lara and grinned. "Good," they said in unison.

Lara raised an eyebrow.

"We wanted to make sure that you didn't want to wear something like that," Stephanie explained.

Barbara pursed her lips, trying to hold back a chuckle. "But I think Damian might be enjoying that suit,"

Damian flushed the same color as Lara's skirt and turned away.

"You're not denying it!" Dick teased.

"We all know what you think about 'er, Damian!" Tim said.

Damian slapped both of his brothers. He looked back at Lara, only looking at her face. "Next suit,"

Lara nodded in agreement, her expression full of distaste towards the monstrosity that she was wearing.

A few minutes later Lara came out in a much better suit. Before saying anything, she tossed the first suit onto the floor of the catwalk and stared at it. The first suit caught fire and Damian became slightly more terrified of his best friend. She was powerful to him before he knew that she was part Kryptonian, now she was close to being scarier than a warlord. Damian liked it though. At least he knew that she could handle herself and that there was less of a chance of her getting hurt.

The suit that Lara was in now was much more her. It was entirely blue with the symbol of El, and she had a waist-length cape that was edged with gold. Instead of a red skirt, she had a gold line going through her waist separating the top of her suit from the blue legging-like bottom. Her boots covered her shins and were, like her cape, edged in gold.

"It's perfect," Damian found himself muttering.

Lara smiled at him. "It's much more me. No skirt, no frills, just a suit that says 'I am beauty, I am grace, I'ma punch you in the face!'"

"I love it," Barbar said. "And like Damian said, it IS perfect,"

Stephanie nodded in agreement. "Now let's go get that hair back to its natural color. Rose is already all set,"

.....

Damian was playing video games with his brothers in Jason's room. He was currently in an intense battle against Jason and was close to winning.

"Go, Jason!" Dick cheered.

"You've got this, Damian!" Tim encouraged.

There was a knock at the door just as Jason managed to kill Damian.

"No!" Damian complained.

Jason fist pumped. "Yes! Haha! Take that you little--"

Barbara cleared her throat. "Gentlemen?"

The boys all turned to face the four girls that had entered the room. The taller girls were seemingly shielding the shortest one from view on purpose until all of the Wayne boys were looking.

"Wow," Jason uttered before smirking down at Damian. "Aren't you a lucky duck?"

Lara had been revealed, her hair now black as night and eyes hidden behind black glasses. She was in her school uniform that she often complained about to Damian because of its skirt.

"You look..." Damian started, feeling at a loss for words, "...great,"

Lara smiled shyly at him, tucking some hair behind her ear. "Thanks,"

"Get a room!" Dick shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth.

Lara looked like she could've heat-visioned him to dust, but thankfully she knew how to control her temper--sort of.

"Her hair is so soft its no wonder she's not human," Rose said, not even a fraction of a smile on her lips.

"Was that a compliment, Rosey?" Jason teased.

"Watch it, Todd!" the white-haired girl snapped.

Jason held up his hands in surrender. "Sorry, Babe,"

"Am I the only one who feels like a bit of a third wheel?" Lara asked, placing a hand on her hip.

"Well I don't feel like one," Tim said as Stephanie took a seat next to him.

"We're practically engaged, so--I'm with Tim," Dick agreed, gesturing to himself and Barbara.

"You two are the only ones that could possibly feel like third wheels at the moment, and--" Jason laughed, "--let's just say it's not likely that either of you are,"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lara barked.

"He means that you two are practically a couple!" Stephanie explained then looked at her boyfriend. "I mean, it's kinda obvious that at least Damian is in love with Lara,"

Tim nodded. "Agreed,"

The two fourteen-year-olds blushed.

"We're not a couple!" Lara said, her face filled with embarrassment.

"Yeah!" Damian agreed, but oh how he wished that they were.

"Suuuuuuuuuure," Dick commenetd sarcastically.

"Pipe down, Grayson!" Lara shot.

Jason started laughing at the fact that Dick now looked afraid of a fourteen-year-old girl that also was only 5'2.

Damian smiled. Lara might not be his girlfriend, but just her feeling like a part fo the family made his heart swell with joy.


	8. Chapter 8

Damian groaned. "Father, do I HAVE to attend?"

Mr. Wayne nodded. "Yes. It's an important gala for Commissioner Gordon, and you as well as the rest of your brothers are expected to attend as well as myself--"

Damian sighed.

"--however I will grant you permission to invite a guest,"

He looked at his father. He was torn between smiling and scowling. Damian's father was already well aware of who he would invite.

When Damian didn't say anything his father smirked and began to walk away. "You might wanna give Lara a call. Tell her to dress for the press,"

Damian scowled at his father, but then pulled his phone out of his pocket and began dialing Lara's number.

.....

"Wow," Lara chuckled as she hopped into the limo, her eyes glimmering from behind her glasses. "You guys really take these galas seriously!"

She continued laughing as she looked over the Waynes and their dates. The guys were all dressed in either nice suits or shirts, while the women were in dresses that perfectly matched their personality. 

Damian grinned when he saw what Lara was wearing. "I couldn't imagine you in anything else," he said honestly, smiling at her with admiration.

His best friend smirked. "Good. If you expected me to wear a dress I'd be sorely disappointed,"

Rather than a dress or nice skirt and blouse, Lara was wearing a white button-up shirt and black trousers. Around her neck was an official Wayne Enterprises tie that looked too big for her.

"I love it," Damian commented, "but, where'd you get the tie?"

Lara giggled and looked in the direction of Damian's brother. "Tim lent it to me,"

Tim smiled innocently. "What, Damian? I thought you'd like to have your girl already branded by the Waynes,"

Damian gritted his teeth in anger and humiliation. "Shut it, Drake,"

"Oh pipe down, both of you!" Lara snapped. "I'm wearing it because I thought it would be best due to the group that I'm going to have to blend in with,"

"You say that like you're not one of us," Barbara chuckled.

Lara's smile shrank. "I'm NOT one of you. I'm literally the spawn of an extraterrestrial being and a human, who is trying to grow up as normal as possible as a teenager, but thanks to powers passed genetically from the extraterrestrial being, is struggling to do so because of the chaos of her life,"

The limo fell silent for a moment but then filled with laughter.

"True words," Mr. Wayne agreed with a nod to his son's best friend.

Lara grinned at the approval of Damian's father, a blush dusting her cheeks as she noticed the youngest Wayne slightly staring at her.

"Well we should be there soon," Jason commented. "Everyone know how to survive a gala?"

Lara shook her head, but before Jason could see it Damian whispered something into her ear.

"Just stick with me, I don't feel like listening to Tim's rant about proper gala mannerisms," Damian uttered.

Lara nodded with a small grin towards her friend.

"Master Wayne," Alfred said from the front seat, "we have arrived,"

Mr. Wayne was the first to exit the limo, followed by Dick and Barbara, then Jason and Rose, and Tim and Stephanie. This was always how the family did it. Exit by age order with their guests.

"Ready to be on the cover of newspapers?" Damian asked Lara when it was their turn to exit the car.

She smirked with confidence. "I was born ready, Little Birdie!"

Damian smiled and stepped out into the night. He held out his hand for Lara and helped her out of the limo, many people in the crowd gasping and cameras flashing like crazy. A few reporters even walked over to them. 

"Mr. Wayne, who is this young woman you have brought with you?" one asked.

"Are you two a couple?" questioned another.

One even had the gall to try and interrogate Lara.

"Who are you, Miss, and how have you managed to steal the heart of Gotham City's most wanted single teen?" he asked.

Lara much to Damian's surprise was very composed and calm, her charisma showing. "Name's Lara Kent. And I'm Damian's BEST FRIEND, got that?"

.....

Damian was woken up early the next morning by a loud knock coming from his window. He groaned and rolled over in bed, shocked to see Lara in her suit flying over his balcony. He jumped to life without a shirt and only his pajama pants that were covered in little katanas.

He opened the door to his balcony and Lara flew in. She slammed a newspaper onto his bed, her sky blue eyes resembling flames due to her anger. Damian picked up the paper and gasped uncomfortably when he saw the headline and who was on it.

On the front page was a picture of Lara and Damian as they got out of the limo, their hands linked in a way that made it appear that they were dating. The headline read: "Damian Wayne the Heir to Wayne Enterprises in Love?"

Damian was tempted to rip up the paper, not because it wasn't true, but because of how true it was.

"It's infuriating!" Lara snapped. "The paparazzi sees a famous teenage boy with a girl and suddenly think they're an item! Unbelievable!"

Damian felt like his heart had been crushed. "Is it really that bad? For people to think we're dating?"

Lara looked shocked and confused. "Damian? What do you--"

"Is it really such a bad thing?" he barked. "Are you that ashamed of being my friend?"

"Damian! No! I--"

"Don't you 'Damian' me!" Damian shrieked. "For Pete's sake, Lara! How much more obvious can I be?"

"What are you--" Lara tried to ask.

"I'm in love with you, Lara! Can't you see that?"


	9. Chapter 9

"Damian, I-I didn't know you--" Lara stopped, staring off into space.

Damian stared at her, originally angry, but then realized that she had heard something. "What is it?" he asked.

"Bomb," she uttered, before zooming out the window. She then reappeared after a mere second. "We'll discuss this later!" she said before flying away once again.

Damian was frozen, unsure what had just happened and what was going on. He probably would've stayed there for a while longer, but then he heard yelling coming from downstairs. He darted down to meet his family in the Batcave.

"There's been an explosion," Tim explained from the Batcomputor. He was already in full costume and was typing away trying to get the location.

Dick was helping Jason load some fo his guns, and the brothers' father was already by the Batmobile, ready to head out at a moment's notice.

"Forty twenty-one, Third Street," Tim said, jumping out of his seat and then charging into the Batmobile. Dick and Jason hopped onto their motorbikes while Damian joined his father and brother in the car. They zoomed off quickly to the address of the explosion.

.....

"About time you lot showed up!" Lara said as she punched a guard in the chest before backing up towards her dad who had just done the same thing.

Damian was the first out of the Batmobile and quickly rushed to his best friend's aid. He knocked out a few guards on his way. He noticed the patches on their left shoulders. "They're from Lex Corp!" he exclaimed.

"Nice observation, Robin," Lara commented. "They set off the bomb, and the Joker is around here somewhere!"

"Can't you see?" Tim asked.

"The walls are lined with led," Superman explained.

Jason scoffed. "Yeah, stupid!"

"Hey! Fight the bad guys, not each other!" Lara snapped. "Got that Red Hood? Red Robin?"

"Yes, Supergirl," the two said in unison.

Dick did a backflip and knocked out two guards. "Wow, Supergirl! I'm proud of you! How'd you manage to do it?"

"Do what?" Lara asked.

"Get them to shut up!"

The girl in blue tights smiled but continued to fight.

Suddenly a loud laugh could be heard throughout the building. The Joker was cackling like the maniac that he was over the building intercom. "Aww, wouldn't ya look at this! The Batfamily has come to help Supes and his little girl! How precious!" he mocked.

"What does that clown have planned?" Batman thought out loud.

"And where's Lutho--" Superman tried to say, but cut himself off with a moan of agony.

"Superman!" Lara shrieked and began soaring over to her dad's side.

"Supergirl, no!" he ordered. "Stay away!"

Damian looked up and saw the problem. "Kryptonite!" he gasped.

Lex Luthor stood at the start of a staircase holding a large chunk of Kryptonite. "How observant, Boy Wonder,"

"Luthor..." Superman sneered.

"Get that kryptonite away from us!" Lara demanded, her eyes blazing red as her heat vision began to power up. "Or else there won't be a hand left for you to hold it in!"

Damian gulped. He knew Lara was a fighter, but he never knew she had that big of a temper when it came to protecting her family.

Luthor pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow. "In that case, _catch_!" he said, tossing the kryptonite to Lara.

Lara seemed unfazed as she caught the stone. She continued to glare at Luthor with her eyes blazing as she tossed it up and down sassily. "You were saying, Luthor?"

"What?" Impossible!" Lex Luthor gasped.

"I'm only partially Kryptonian, Mr. Luthor," she explained. Lara looked at the kryptonite and it melted in her hand.

The Joker started laughing from the opposite side of the building. "Looks like Supes' little girl has you beat!" he cackled.

Batman and Dick started to run towards the Clown Prince of Crime. Joker laughed and grabbed Dick by the wrist, electrocuting Damian's eldest brother. Dick shrieked in pain and collapsed into his adoptive father's arms. Jason grabbed a gun and opened fire on the clown, but the Joker only laughed and dodged, throwing a bag of explosive marbles towards Tim.

Damian glanced at Lara. She was helping her father to his feet and the two started to chase after Luthor. His eyes widened with shock when he saw the redness of her hands and how despite the determination in her eyes, her lips were pursed together in discomfort. Lara had bluffed about the kryptonite not having an effect on her. It didn't harm her in the same way it harmed her dad, but it still caused her immense pain. Pulling himself out of thought, Damian unsheathed his katana and started running towards the Joker, outraged for him hurting his family.

"Robin! Look out!" Batman called.

A bullet was fired by one of the Lex Corp guards, and it was headed right for Damian. His life flashed before his eyes, and he thought that this was the end. A blur of blue and red darted in front of him, and Damian heard the bullet drop to the floor.

Lara was now standing in front of Damian, her fists clenched angrily as she glared at the guard who shot at Damian. "You're messing with the wrong family!" she spat before flying over to him.

Damian was in a state of shock. Normally he was unfazed by nearly losing his life, however, there was something different about this time. The way that Lara had been almost angrier at the Lex Corp guard for trying to kill Damian than she was at Luthor for holding kryptonite to her father.

Lara slammed the Lex Corp guard against the wall and stared at him with a gaze of loathing, her eyes blazing but not from her heat vision. "Right when I thought you Lex Corp guards couldn't get any dumber," she mumbled before punching him hard in the gut and dropped the now unconscious guard. Lara flew off to join her father on the hunt for Luthor, leaving Damian, Tim, Jason, Batman, and an electrocuted Dick.

Tim and Jason were taking on Lex Corp guards as well as keeping Dick safe, while Damian assisted his father in the fight against Joker. The four fought valiantly, but their foes seemed invincible. As Damian backed up against his father, katana in hand, he silently promised that if he made it out alive that there was one thing he had to do.


	10. Chapter 10

Hours had passed, injuries were attained, and costumes were torn, but the battle was won. Damian sunk to the floor, out of breath and bloodied up. Luthor, the Joker, and the Lex Corp guards had either been caught or retreated. Luthor, of course, had escaped, but the Joker was on a one way trip to Arkham Asylum.

Damian glanced around at his family. His father was speaking with the police, his costume in taters and a part of his temple showing through his mask. His cape was shredded and gloves torn. Dick was being given medical attention, but Jason was keeping a watchful eye to ensure that their brother's identity was not discovered. Jason was not a very good shape either. His red mask was broken and his right eye was slightly visible. His outfit was resembling a scarecrow but he acted confident enough. Tim was in the worst condition because of the grenades. His left boot was completely gone and his entire costume and cape shredded. His hair was disheveled, and his lip bled badly.

Damian wasn't in great condition himself. His katana was broken, his hood was torn, he was covered in bruises, and his ankle was probably broken. However, despite all of this, he could only wonder about what had happened to Lara and Superman. He needed to know if Lara was alright after her interaction with the kryptonite. He looked over towards his father and his eyes wandered to one of the Lex Corp guards. Fury filled Damian as he realized that as soon as Luthor had retreated they had destroyed the patches that proved they were with Lex Corp.

He knew that from that point on he would be much more interested in Metropolis affairs, especially in their newest hero's attempt to stop Luthor.

.....

"Robin!" Damian heard a girl's voice cry out.

He spun around, no longer facing Jason whom he'd been speaking with and was now facing Lara. His lips curled into the largest of grins. He ran towards her with a limp as she flew, and they met in the middle. The best friends wrapped their arms around each other in a tight embrace.

"Lara, oh, Lara, you're alright!" Damian whispered into her ear while holding back tears of joy as he picked her up by the waist and spun her around.

"Of course I'm alright, bird brain! I was worried about you!" Lara shrieked with such emotion that it made the boy wonder's heart flutter at the idea that Lara would've been lost had he died. Without much thought, Damian stopped twirling Lara around and after a second of hesitation, stooped his head and pressed his lips against hers.

Lara's eyes widened in shock, her feet slightly lifting off the ground as she tried to process what was happening. Damian's lips were on hers. Her best friend whom she had been hiding her feelings for was kissing her. Even after he had confessed that he was in love with her, Lara had still struggled with accepting the fact that maybe her crush liked her back. That maybe she had a chance with the youngest son of Bruce Wayne. As that information slowly sank in, she closed her eyes and just let the moment happen.

It felt like an eternity before the two teens pulled away from each other when in reality it had only been a mere few seconds. Damian's emerald eyes met Lara's sky blue ones. They reflected the same shock and bliss he held in his heart, and in that moment, everything felt right. Even after such a dangerous battle where Damian almost died, he was now feeling like a king. He felt as though not even the teasing of his brothers could bring him down.

Damian stared at his best friend, searching for the right words to say. "Lara, I--"

"Robin!" Batman called from in the Batmobile.

Damian glanced at his father then back at Lara. She touched his cheek, her fingertips brushing his mask. "Go. Your family needs you, and my dad probably wants me to start heading home to fix..." she trailed off, looking at her blistered hands.

Damian remembered that Lara still had to handle her reaction to kryptonite. He opened his mouth to say something, but Lara had heard something.

"Got to go!" she said charmingly, backing up and starting to fly. She glanced downwards. "I hope your ankle gets better, Dami," She whispered the last part so softly that Damian was almost certain he'd imagined it. Without another word the girl of steel flew off, leaving Damian with a father ready to force him into a hospital, and three brothers who probably had photographic proof of his first kiss.

.....

Damian sat in class, staring at Lara's empty desk. He hadn't seen her since the fight two days before, but he wasn't that concerned. He still missed her though.

"Class, I have an announcement," Mrs. Stouse said. "Miss Lara Kent is no longer in class with us. She has transferred to another school in Metropolis, and said that she will miss you all very much,"

Damian was torn between feeling hurt and not really caring. He knew that Lara would eventually leave Gotham, but they still had not discussed...the kiss...

The school day drug on slowly and Damian hated just about every moment of it. When it finally ended, he was about to walk out into the courtyard when he was pulled into a janitor's closet.

Instinctively he threw a punch, but his fist was caught by a pair of soft hands.

"Rude," Lara commented.

"Lara!" Damian shrieked, pulling his fist free.

"Hey, dude," the black-haired girl chuckled.

The two hugged, and Damian found it so nice to feel his best friend's head tucked comfortably underneath his chin again, her soft hair tickling him. When the two finally parted he examined her. She was dressed in a Robin fan hoodie and jeans. "Why are you here? I thought you'd be back in Metropolis!" he asked.

Lara shook her head with a half playful smile. "No bird brain, I mean I moved back to Metropolis, but I had to clear things up with you!"

Damian looked around them, trying to find a way to not be awkward. "In a broom closet?"

Lara laughed and gently hit his shoulder. "No, but you might wanna put this on," she advised, handing him a heavy coat.

Without question, Damian did so, already feeling sweaty from the heat. Before he could ask any further questions Lara picked him up bridal style, her super-strength helping her cradle him like a baby.

"Hold on tight," she said with a wink and flew through the open window in the closet.

.....

When they finally landed, Damian realized why Lara had him put on a coat. It was FREEZING. However, despite the cold, he was in awe of where she had brought him. "This is the Fortress of Solitude," he gasped.

Lara nodded. "My dad and I come here when we need to be alone," She turned to face him. "I'm pretty sure this conversation is best had in private, sooooo,"

Damian chuckled. "Yeah,"

They both were silent for only a few seconds., but the awkwardness had gotten to Damian. "About the kiss, I-I'm really sorry. I understand that you--"

"Damian! I feel the same way!" Lara exclaimed, seemingly shocked by his unawareness of her feelings.

He stared. "Y-you do?"

She nodded. "Yes. I have for around two months now,"

Damian felt like his heart would explode from joy. "You have?"

Lara smiled with a blush on her cheeks and nodded again. "I started to right before I figured out that you were Robin,"

Overwhelmed by emotion, Damian remained silent as he stared.

Lara cocked her head to the side. "What? Is that not okay?"

Damian perked up. "No! No! Not at all! I just--didn't expect you to reciprocate my feelings..."

Lara smiled softly. "Only in your nightmares, Dami,"

"So," Damian began, "does that mean that you would want to..." he trailed off, unable to ask it.

Lara raised an eyebrow innocently, uncertain on what he was meaning to say.

He sighed and grabbed Lara's hands. "Lara, I was hoping that you'd be my..." he trailed off again. His own stubbornness was going to be his undoing. Damian took a deep breath and clutched her hands tighter. He made direct eye contact with her and finally said it: "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Lara looked shocked by the question, but then her expression flooded with happiness. "Yes!" she cried, jumping up and wrapping her arms around Damian, who in turn hugged her back. "I would love to be the girlfriend of the bravest boy that I know," she muttered.

Damian was smiling brighter than he ever had. He found himself stroking Lara's hair as he hugged her. "As I would love to be the boyfriend of the bravest girl in the world, beloved,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of this fanfiction, however, the story of Damian and Lara will be continued in my next project "Daughter of El" that will be from Lara's point of view. It will be a collection of short stories containing her adventures with her father and will often include help from Damian emotionally or in battle. I hope you enjoyed their romance, and hopefully, you'll consider reading the continuation of their story!


End file.
